Kopiko was an Indonesian coffee candy — K-dramas accidentally made it a global brand

Kopiko was introduced in 1982 by Mayora Indah, an Indonesian food company founded in 1977 by Jogi Hendra Atmadja. The product was a coffee-flavored candy — a simple domestic product for the Indonesian market. Mayora Indah was a local biscuit and candy maker. There was no global strategy. Kopiko was one of many products in their portfolio.

For 39 years, Kopiko was a modest brand. It was sold in Indonesia and some neighboring countries. The candy was not a global phenomenon. It was a familiar product in Southeast Asia but unknown in most of the world. Mayora Indah had no plan to make Kopiko a global brand. The product was a domestic coffee candy, nothing more.

In 2021, Kopiko began appearing in Korean dramas. The product was featured in hit shows like Vincenzo, Castaway Diva, Connection, and Brave New World. The exposure was massive. Korean drama fans around the world saw the candy and wanted to try it. The product placements made Kopiko a global brand — an unexpected outcome for a product that had been modest for 39 years.

The K-drama exposure turned Kopiko into a global brand. The candy became especially popular in South Korea, where it became a recognizable imported product. Mayora Indah expanded distribution to over 80 countries. The company was recognized as the world's largest coffee candy manufacturer. A domestic Indonesian coffee candy that had been modest for 39 years became a global brand through K-drama product placements.